Information to include in your application

If you have collaborators or staff who will work independently under the licence, you should list them by name as associates.

People who will not be working independently under the licence do not need to be listed as associates. These include students or volunteers working under the supervision of the licensee, or third parties engaged under contract. However, you should list their involvement in the methods section of the online application.

You can list up to 5 associates in the online application. If there are more than 5 associates, you can attach a list of their names, dates of birth and contact information in the attachments section of the online application.

Dates of birth are used to match records in the government licensing database but do not appear on the licence. Individuals’ details are then available for future applications, making it a faster process. Supplying accurate details for everyone also helps us to maintain an accurate database.

You should supply details of your organisation when you are carrying out a project on its behalf or under its management. This includes projects by academic staff and students at universities, or by employees of consulting companies and so on.

Use the ABN/ACN matching tool in the online application to make sure you enter the details correctly.

You may list an alternative contact address, but you should still provide the organisation’s address and details.

Species and locations

In the online application you can choose up to 50 species or items of study, such as endangered ecological communities, soil samples and so on. You can list more in an attachment if needed.

Most terrestrial plants and most vertebrates are listed in the online application. However, there are some omissions, including fish, fungi and most invertebrates.

If the species you want to work on isn’t listed, choose the most relevant generic option, such as ‘ALL INSECTS’, and list the exact target species in the methods.

If you are working on abiotic (non-living) sample types or your focus of work is not available in the online flora or fauna list, then enter the species type ‘OTHER’. A drop-down list will appear. Select one or more items from the list to best match your activity.

After you submit your application

The process for assessing and granting licences usually takes 4–6 weeks. It may take longer if extensive consultation is required, such as for research in karst areas or translocations of plants or animals.

Licence amendments are possible, but please review your initial application carefully before submitting it to ensure it includes all the species, sites and associates you are likely to need for the project.

You can request minor amendments to a licence while it is current, such as adding new locations, species or methods. Keep in mind that even minor amendments involving work on animals will require an additional animal ethics approval.

You may need to submit a new application if you wish to substantially modify the activities covered under the licence.

Changes to associates may be managed directly by the licensee. If you want to change the principal licensee, the existing licensee must submit a written request by email, because an amended licence will need to be granted.

Reporting obligations

If you plan to carry out surveys, research or other biodiversity assessments you need to provide a full report of plant and animal observations and data collection. You’ll need to include the following details:

species name

observation date

observer name

location description

coordinates

accuracy.

If you are licensed to conduct presence/absence (ecological) surveys, you will need to enter data about any threatened and protected plants and animals you encounter.

Other licensees need to report only plants and animals that are the target of their licensed activity, but incidental observations are highly valuable and you are encouraged to enter these.

To upload your spreadsheet, you need to register for login access to BioNet. Scientific licence holders are expected to register so that they can upload information and fulfil their licence requirements.

Renewing a licence

You will receive a renewal reminder from OEH via email about 4 weeks before your licence expiry date. Renewals cost $50. They are subject to a review of your project’s objectives and methods. You will also need to have met the reporting requirements for your existing licence.

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Field survey methods

Best practice field survey methods for environmental consultants and surveyors when assessing proposed development sites or other activities on sites containing threatened species, populations or ecological communities.

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